VIDEO: Maria Tirulli Interview
VIDEO: Hannah Huntsman Interview
VIDEO: Will Humphres Interview
VIDEO: Christian Baliant Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman jumps out to an early lead of 155-141 against 7th ranked Wingate following day one of the Bulldogs trip to Mossy Creek.
The Eagles lead the Wingate Bulldogs 155-141 after the first of a two-day SAC head-to-head matchup. Coming into this meet, Wingate is ranked 7th in the nation on both men's and women's squads in the CSCAA Top 25 Poll. Carson-Newman, ranked 17th on the women's side and receiving votes on the men's, looked to start fast and jump out ahead on day one.
"The energy that the team brought today stood out to me," said head coach Ben Young. "We have a tendency of starting meets out flat, so that was the message to the team today and making sure that we brought the energy. We want to be undeniable in our approach to each race, so I felt like we did a really good job of that."
This is the first time since 2022 that Wingate have faced off against the Eagles in Mossy Creek, which saw the Bulldogs take home a 488-112 victory. Carson-Newman looks to get back in the win column this weekend.
"This is our house and we want to make sure that every time another team, whether they be a top 10 Division II program or not, understands what it is like to race at Carson-Newman," said Young.
Following day one, the Eagles secured 12 first place finishes out of 16 events. Carson-Newman set the tone early, grabbing first place finishes in both the men's and women's 200-yard freestyle relays.
Looking at the women's squad, the Eagles earned seven first place finishes on the night. Kicking off the night was the 200-yard freestyle relay swam by Olivia Muir, Ivanova Martina, Megan Corcoran, and Emma Bowling finishing in a time of 1:35.43. Megan Corcoran earned first place in the 200-yard IM in a time of 2:05.59. Breanna Belcher was next to win first place in the 100-yard breaststroke with a finishing time of 1:04.25. Sarah Covington secured first overall in the 200-yard backstroke in a time of 2:04.65 followed by Emma Bowling's first place performance in the 100-yard freestyle in 52.16.
At the end of night one of the head-to-head against Wingate, the Eagles women's squad holds a 16 point lead of 82-66.
Senior swimmer Maria Tirulli had a standout performance in the 500-yard freestyle finishing in a time of 5:08.47.
"I felt the team brought the energy and everyone was hype since the beginning," said Tirulli. "We had really good preparation for this meet, especially with finals this past week and everyone was happy to compete again."
Hannah Huntsman was one of the many Eagles swimmers that set a new personal best, setting a PB in the 200-yard freestyle relay in a time of 24.77.
"I talked to Aaron and Ben before the race, and I was honestly so nervous," said Huntsman. "I wasn't ready for it but I went in and I did my best…when your coaches tell you what to do and you do it, it works."
The Carson-Newman men's team ended the night with five first place finishes and sit only two points behind the Bulldogs with a score of 75-73. In the 200-yard freestyle relay, the Eagles were led by performances from Daniel de Oliveira , Ryan Berry, Tyler Schehr, and Arthur Gluzman, completing the event in a time of 1:22.52. Arthur Gluzman secured the victory in the 200-yard IM in a time of 1:53.73. Asger Hartvig locked down the first place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke in a time of 55.86.Daniel de Oliveira earned first overall in the 100-yard freestyle in a time of 45.82.
Junior swimmer Will Humphreys had a special night swimming his way to a first place finish in the 200-yard backstroke in a time of 1:52.45 as well as his time of 24.45 in the 400-yard medley relay to cap off the evening.
"The team really stepped up today," said Humphreys. "As team captains, me and Asger [Hartvig] really challenged the guys to get up and go fast. Everyone knows what happened last time we swam against Wingate and we didn't want a repeat of that. We're in a great place after day one and we couldn't be happier."
Another Eagles personal best performance came from senior swimmer Christian Balint, shaving a second off his time in the 100-yard breaststroke, finishing in a time of 58.79.
"I feel like we did really well today. We won basically every event except the 200-yard butterfly and the 100-yard freestyle, so a really good day one against Wingate. I worked on my underwater skills today and in practice, so being able to go faster underwater has helped me to go faster in that race."
Carson-Newman looks to hold over Wingate after day one of competition when the Eagles return to the Maddox Student Activities Center tomorrow beginning at 11:00am.
"What the team does tonight at home and what they do in between sessions is incredibly important," said Young. "The conversion has been to rest and recover…so that you're able to do whatever it takes to actually get prepared for the next day."
For all the latest news and information on Carson-Newman athletics, go to CNEagles.com.